Horse Racing: Horse racing (through 2021)

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

• Keeneland sales (day 3 of 4): $40 million spent on 727 horses sold at Keeneland sales

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Favorites lost: In all nine races, favorites lost.
• Race 9: A 112-to-1 shot, ridden by Chad Lindsay who won the opener, finished second and paid $78 in the middle.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Corey Lanerie won three times in the first four races and settled for a 7 3-1-2 day. Good for Lanerie. He entered today with three wins on 35 mounts in 2021.

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• Junior Alvarado, is 1-5-1 with his past nine mounts. He is getting in a groove.
• Race 7: Mail Order (Junior Alvarado/Bill Mott), a $300,000 purchase, was out for the second time and broke her maiden against a group that included a first-time starter who nearly picked her off.

​

• Handle: Over $7 million.
• Leading rider: Luis Saez leads with 44 wins. There are four riders with 38 wins or more. A good battle.
• Leading trainer: Todd Pletcher has a comfortable lead with 25 wins even though he had a rare miserable day today by missing the board with all four starters.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Golden Gate Fields is scheduled to reopen the 15th (Friday). It has been closed since November due to C-virus related protocol in the San Francisco area. However, as of this morning, I have yet to see a card for Friday's racing. I assume they will put out something today.

Otherwise, it appears GGF is streaming for free which would mean it joins the other major Stronach Group tracks (Gulfstream, Santa Anita and Laurel) that provides free live streaming without registration. Few others offer this option.

Live Racing 01/15/2021 – Golden Gate Fields

And just like that, Friday's card has been released.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post PACIFIC TIME
Race 1	$10,500	Maiden Claiming	5 Furlongs	All Weather Track	9	12:45 PM
Race 2	$11,000	Maiden Claiming	6 Furlongs	All Weather Track	10	1:17 PM
Race 3	$11,000	Maiden Claiming	6 Furlongs	All Weather Track	13	1:49 PM
Race 4	$19,000	Starter Allowance	6 Furlongs	All Weather Track	7	2:19 PM
Race 5	$39,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile	All Weather Track	8	2:49 PM
Race 6	$10,400	Claiming	1 Mile	All Weather Track	12	3:19 PM
Race 7	$14,000	Maiden Claiming	5 1/2 Furlongs	All Weather Track	13	3:49 PM
Race 8	$11,000	Claiming	1 Mile	All Weather Track	14	4:19 PM

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The 50th annual 2020 Eclipse Awards nominations:

Date: Saturday, January 16, 2021
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Television: TVG
​

The finalists (three in every category) will be named for everything ranging from top equine athletes in various divisions, to best jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders, apprentice riders (bugs) and more.

The 50th annual 2020 Eclipse Awards:

Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Television: TVG in addition to various streaming options​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Akifumi Kato won a race for the 50th consecutive year after a victory at Turf Paradise (Arizona) on January 7. He won on his 69th birthday and rode for his daughter who got her first win as a trainer in 2009. He has been active for so long he won at three race tracks in the state of Washington which are now defunct.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, January 14, 2021

• Keeneland sales: The four-day Horses of All Ages sale wrapped today with a high seller of $875,000. In total, 990 horses from 1,223 offered changed hands for $46,236,600. Last year, 1,108 sold for $42.4 million.
• Highest sellers: Lane's End in Kentucky ($8.7 million) and Sam-Son in Ontario ($6.7 million).
• Highest buyers: Phil Schoenthal, Agent for Determined Stud spent over $2.1 million on five head.
• Million dollar babies, Australian style: At the Australian yearling sale today, over $1.8 million (Australian) -- roughly $1.3 million U.S. -- and over $1 million (Australian) -- slightly under $775,000 (U.S.) -- sold and both colts are sired Australian 20-year-old Not a Single Doubt. The combined million $2.8 million (Australian) purchases were by Amer Abdulaziz Salman (Dubai) and Tony Fung (Hong Kong) who have partnership in both.

• Australian sales: The 7-day yearling sale is projected to pass $200,000,000 (Australian) which would set a record.
• Suspended: Umberto Rispoli and Drayden Van Dyke were both issued suspensions for usage of the whip under California's new regulations. Many jockeys including Mike Smith have been critical of the new measures.
  
• Wayne Lukas: The Hall of Fame trainer, now at the age of 85, will bring 27 horses to Oaklawn.
• Steve Asmussen had a 4-win day, the winners coming at two tracks. Just like that, he is second in wins in 2021 (12) with only Karl Broberg's 13 higher. The two are seemingly 1-2 every year recently.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: Over $7 million.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. added two wins to his collection and now leads all North America-based riders with 18 victories in 2021.
• Leading jockeys: Luis Saez (44 wins) and Irad Ortiz, Jr. (43 wins) are hooking up in another close battle. The two have a recent habit of doing this at Gulfstream's Championship meet. Saez lost with all seven rides today.
• Race 9: Crystalle (Joe Bravo/John Kimmel) won for the first time since August 2019, snapped a 5-race losing skid and also ended a 34-race losing streak for the affable jockey.
• Race 4: Paco Lopez became the third rider at the meet to hit 40 victories.
• Race 1: First Investor (Paco Lopez/Michael Lerman), a first-time starter, won at 13-to-1. The second highest odds. The trainer doesn't send out too many horses.
• Off the turf: Three races were off the turf.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Florent Geroux added three wins to his already impressive 2021 run. He is a brilliant 30 15-6-1 (50%/73%).

Sam Houston (Texas):

• Steve Asmussen had three winners.
• Handle: Over $2 million

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

There are 25 stakes races across the U.S. on Saturday -- two graded and 23 non-graded.

Races 12 and 13 on the Fair Grounds' card will be awarding points as preps to the Kentucky Oaks and Derby. Fox Sports 1 will show racing from Fair Grounds from 6-7:00 pm ET. TVG will also air racing as the norm.

By the track:

• Aqueduct (New York): 1
• Fair Grounds (Louisiana): 6
• Gulfstream (Florida): 4
• Laurel (Maryland): 6
• Santa Anita (California): 5
• Tampa Bay (Florida): 3

One extra note:

• LAUREL: The Spectacular Bid Stakes is in its initial offering. Anything Spectacular Bid should include a moment to remember one of the most august equine athletes in history. Most fans can immediately cite the record: 30 26-2-1. His lone failure to hit the board was in his first stakes race, a 4th place finish in New Jersey. Most still grimace at the Belmont Stakes in 1979. He is the asterisk in any Triple Crown discussion. The Bid was a fan favorite that few can match. He ended his career with 10 straight wins with the finale the much publicized walkover at Aqueduct and that wasn't his longest win streak either, he had a dozen straight wins entering the Belmont Stakes. He was spectacular!

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The 1979 Derby....

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...and that awesome performance in the Preakness.

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Santa Anita 4 today may offer an indication for those entered into Ky. Derby preps. Bob Baffert has two entered. A late bloomer or two could rise.

-----------------------------------------------

Two longest shots win in New York in races 1 and 2. $1000 double starts the card.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, January 15, 2021

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $5 million.
• Speed kills: All day it seemed as if closers were running in mud.
• High price Friday: Sure it is winter in New York and races don't always play to form but on a track that was speed favoring much of the day led to some nice payouts.
• Race 1: Gratto Swing (Benjamin Hernandez/Edmund Pringle) won at 73-to-1 by far the longest shot on the board and paid $148.50.
• Race 2: Flashndynamite (Kendrick Carmouche/Michael Moore) won as the longest shot on the board at 7-to-1. The $1 double was $501. The trainer is based in Philly.
• Race 3: The $1 Pick 3 returned $1,730.
  
• Race 4: Baba (Jorge Vargas, Jr./Tom Albertrani) won at 26-to-1 and paid $54 as the second largest set of odds on the board.
• Race 7: Mad Munnys (Jorge Vargas, Jr./Rudy Rodriguez) won as the largest odds in the race at 17-to-1. It was the rider's second big price of the day and the fourth enormous or longest shot to win.
• Leading jockey: Kendrick Carmouche, who won his first NYRA title at the most recent Aqueduct meet, is trouncing the competition with 29 wins (11 more than his closest challenger).
• Leading trainers: Rudy Rodriguez has 12 wins. Chad Brown is 13 7-2-2 (54% winning).
• Cold as ice: Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is winless with 20 starters at the meet. He is 27% at the more significant Gulfstream meet, however.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 9: Spanish d'Oro (Ferrin Peterson/Hamilton Smith) gave the rider her first win since October 24. She was 0-for-37 at the recent Aqueduct meet after having a sensational breakout year in New Jersey in 2020. New York and New Jersey are vastly different and she found it difficult with a 37 0-1-1 mark. Laurel, perhaps, will offer some success.

• The Russells: 2021 is very early but the success the husband-wife team had in much of 2020 has not carried over into this month. They had two opportunities including a 1-to-5 shot but both failed. In the opener, they nearly overcame a terrible start but lost by a head in what would have been a dramatic victory. Brittany is 9 0-4-2 in 2021 and twice she ran second today with the mounts ridden by Sheldon her husband. They team tomorrow twice at Laurel and I wouldn't be surprised to see at least one winner there.
• Brittany Russell and Claudio Gonzalez, the top two trainers at the recently closed meet in December, have two wins in 29 opportunities combined at the meet in January.
• Sheldon Russell had good value today aside from not winning on board a 1-to-5 shot. He was 6 1-4-0 but delivered on some prices. Good value play today for exotics. His lone win was 7-to-1.
• Alexander Crispin, the hotshot bug, is 43 16-6-10 (37%/74%) at the meet. Phenomenal numbers but especially for an apprentice.
• Michael Trombetta's stable is winning at a 35% clip this meet and his seven wins is tops.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Handle: Over $3 million.
• Leading riders: Samy Camacho (36 wins) and Antonio Gallardo (35).

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 9: Go Mike (Junior Alvarado/Antonio Sano) had perhaps the ride of the day at any track. Sure, that is a little bias on my part but Junior is good. He got him out to the lead immediately from the far outside, not always the easiest task at Gulfstream, then settled in and held off challengers even fighting back after appearing to be passed. The #7 never quit, a testament to the horse, too. Decide for yourself, this is the longest odds at 9-to-1:

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• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won twice and now is atop the riders' win category with 20 among all North America jockeys.
• Leading jockeys: The battle rages not unexpectant as Luis Saez (46 wins) and Irad Ortiz, Jr. (45 wins) are 1-2. Paco Lopez has 42 wins.
• John Velazquez has 2 wins with 31 mounts this meet. The Hall of Fame rider has been nearly invisible this meet.
• Handle: $9.3 million.
• Replay show:

​

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Florent Geroux's remarkable 2021 continued with two wins. His 17 victories is second in North America. He is near 50% this year with a mark of 35 17-9-1.

Golden Gate (California):

• Re-opening day: The track has been closed since November due to local concerns with the C-virus.
• Race 7: A first-time starter won at 24-to-1 and when a 39-to-1 shot accompanied it in the exacta, all heck broke loose with payouts. The $1 exacta paid $583.20. The $.50 tri was over $3,600. The $.10 super returned over $6,700.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: Over $5 million.
• Race 4: Concert Tour (Joel Rosario/Bob Baffert) excelled in his debut and won as the even-money favorite. Many eyes on this race as an unofficial Kentucky Derby prep perhaps. Certainly one or two of the horses could be in future preps. Baffert also sent out Hozier (Flavien Prat), a $625,000 purchase, who flopped in his debut. Concert Hall was a private purchase of Gary and Mary West. He is sired by Street Sense and is out of a Tapit mare.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The broadcast schedule for Saturday. All posted time is subject to change. Gulfstream starts the day in the U.S. with an 11:45 a.m. ET first post.

Free live streams:

Laurel Park (MD): Streaming Video | Laurel Park
Gulfstream Park (FL): Live Stream | World-Class Thoroughbred Horse Racing | Gulfstream Park
Golden Gate Fields (CA): Live Racing 01/16/2021 – Golden Gate Fields
Santa Anita (CA): Santa Anita Live Stream - Santa Anita Park​

Fox Sports 1: 6:00 - 7:00 pm ET from Fair Grounds (Louisiana).

TVG and TVG2:

TVG
TRACKS	RACES	1ST POST IN EST
FR - Angers	1-4	4:50 AM
ZA - Kenilworth	1-8	5:25 AM
ZA - Turffontein	1-3	5:25 AM
FR - Chantilly	1-9	5:35 AM
GB - Lingfield	1-8	6:45 AM
IR - Fairyhouse	1-8	7:00 AM
GB - Warwick	3-7	8:50 AM
GB - Kempton Park	1	11:15 AM
Gulfstream Park	1-12	11:45 AM
Tampa Bay Downs	1-7	12:05 PM
Aqueduct	1-9	12:20 PM
Laurel Park	1-5	12:25 PM
Fair Grounds	1-13	1:00 PM
Cal Expo	9-13	1:51 PM
Santa Anita	1-10	3:00 PM
Golden Gate Fields	5-10	5:17 PM
Meadowlands	4-15	7:06 PM
Turfway Park	3-8	7:16 PM
Charles Town	3-4,7-8	8:02 PM
Sam Houston Race Park	2-10	8:12 PM
Los Alamitos	1-8	9:00 PM
Hong Kong Sha Tin	1-10	12:00 AM
AUA - Lismore	7-8	12:20 AM
AUB - Cowra	7-8	12:40 AM
AUC - Sunshine Coast	7-9	12:50 AM
AUD - Mt Barker	5-9	2:20 AM
TVG2
TRACKS	RACES	1ST POST IN EST
Tampa Bay Downs	2-11	12:33 PM
Mahoning Valley	2	12:42 PM
Laurel Park	2-9	12:54 PM
Fair Grounds	1-5,9-11	1:00 PM
Golden Gate Fields	1-9	3:15 PM
Meadowlands	1-3	6:00 PM
Turfway Park	1-3	6:15 PM
Charles Town	1	7:00 PM

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Races 12 and 13 on Fox Sports 1.
Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post CENTRAL TIME
Race 1	$55,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	11	12:00 PM
Race 2	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	11	12:30 PM
Race 3	$100,000	Duncan F. Kenner S.	5 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	8	1:00 PM
Race 4	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	15	1:29 PM
Race 5	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile	Turf	16	1:58 PM
Race 6	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	13	2:27 PM
Race 7	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/8 Miles	Turf	16	2:56 PM
Race 8	$55,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	10	3:25 PM
Race 9	$100,000	Marie G. Krantz Memorial S.	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	9	3:54 PM
Race 10	$125,000	Louisiana S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	9	4:23 PM
Race 11	$125,000	Colonel E. R. Bradley S.	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	11	4:52 PM
Race 12	$150,000	Silverbulletday S.	1 Mile 70 Yards	Dirt	9	5:20 PM
Race 13	$200,000	Lecomte S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	11	5:49 PM

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Track updates:

Aqueduct is muddy (sealed).

Laurel is good.

Neither track operates turf racing in January.

Gulfstream is fast and firm.

Tampa Bay is fast and good.

Fair Grounds is fast and firm.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

From my post a few days ago:

JOCKEY: The top two jockeys won't be universal but should be close to it. Joel Rosario deserves more respect. He has settled into a nice groove the past three years and has upped his game in 2020 perhaps more so than any year. The maturation has shown and combined with his physical strength has produced. Irad Ortiz, Jr., is the obvious pick. The accolades are not needed since his successes speak volumes. I don't agree with the selection of John Velazquez, he would barely crack my top ten but some will advance shinier objects -- he is 5th in money earned which can't be avoided but also approximately 70th in total wins. There are too many jocks who have toiled to greater extents and in the cases of my top four each nearly had double the mounts.

TRAINER: One pundit picking Brad Cox is worthy. He has been my pick though not the upset contrarian I thought. People are beginning to recognize his skillset. Chad Brown is the defending winner and is stellar on turf and layoffs. Bob Baffert on dirt and in big games is brilliant. But Cox is the worthy recipient despite maybe not having the name recognition of the others. He clinched the deal at the Breeders' Cup. Steve Asmussen led 2020 in various categories but still is a step behind the others.

APPRENTICE: As far as Apprentice of the Year, Alexander Crispin as the top bug surprises me a bit but Laurel has a competitive riders colony. The Ohio-based Yarmarie Correa is someone with whom I am not too familiar. Charlie Marquez was doing well at Laurel but in a tougher league in New York is still learning. He is 17 or 18 years of age. Luis Cardenas in New York is someone who would fill my ballot of those with whom I am familiar. While I don't have a strong preference for top bug, any Laurel jock getting nominated gets my vote.

We'll find out later this month.

For selected categories, my picks (only three can be nominated):
Jockey of the Year:

1. Irad Ortiz, Jr.
2. Joel Rosario
3. Tyler Gaffalione (by a whisker over Saez)
4. Luis Saez
5. Florent Geroux
6. Flavien Prat​

Trainer of the Year:

1. Brad Cox
2. Bob Baffert
3. Chad Brown​

-------------------------

Nominees are official..

Well the voters selected Irad Ortiz, Joel Rosario and John Velazquez as the finalists. I stick to my guns on that matter.

Also, though four trainers seemed to separate themselves from the rest, Steve Asmussen did make the cut and defending winner Chad Brown was left on the outside

Winners will be announced in a ceremony beginning at 8:00 pm ET on January 28.

The 2020 Eclipse Awards Finalists (in Alphabetical Order):

• Horse of the Year: Authentic, Improbable, Monomoy Girl
• 2-Year-Old Male: Essential Quality, Fire At Will, Jackie's Warrior
• 2-Year-Old Filly: Aunt Pearl, Dayoutoftheoffice, Vequist
• 3-Year-Old Male: Authentic, Nadal, Tiz the Law
• 3-Year-Old Filly: Gamine, Shedaresthedevil, Swiss Skydiver
• Older Dirt Male: Improbable, Maximum Security, Vekoma
• Older Dirt Female: Midnight Bisou, Monomoy Girl, Serengeti Empress
• Male Sprinter: Vekoma, Volatile, Whitmore
• Female Sprinter: Gamine, Glass Slippers, Serengeti Empress
• Male Turf Horse: Channel Maker, Order of Australia, Zulu Alpha
• Female Turf Horse: Audarya, Rushing Fall, Tarnawa
• Steeplechase Horse: Moscato, Rashaan, Snap Decision
• Owner: Godolphin, Klaravich Stables, and the partnership of Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing
• Breeder: Calumet Farm, Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm
• Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, Brad Cox
• Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., Joel Rosario, John Velazquez
• Apprentice Jockey: Luis Cardenas, Yarmarie Correa, Alexander Crispin

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, January 16, 2021

• Stakes: Today was stakes Saturday. Twenty-five of them, in fact. It was a wide array of enticing propositions awaiting the most seasoned handicapper. By track:
  • Aqueduct (New York): 1
  • Fair Grounds (Louisiana): 6
  • Gulfstream (Florida): 4
  • Laurel (Maryland): 6
  • Santa Anita (California): 5
  • Tampa Bay (Florida): 3
• Bill Mott is cold in New York (0-for-21) but hot at Gulfstream (9-for-33).
• Steve Asmussen leads the nation in wins after a 4-win day on Saturday.
• Todd Pletcher is about $1.24 million shy of becoming the first $400 million trainer in North America history.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $8.6 million.
• Conditions: Muddy. It was the lone major track with off conditions today.
• Pick 6: Paid out over $65,000.
• Eric Cancel had a 3-win day.
• Race 9: Brass Ring (Mike Luzzi/Leah Gyarmati) wired the field at 27-to-1 and won by four lengths in a race in which he picked up the mount as a replacement for the ill Benjamin Hernandez. The win paid $57.50. The $.50 Pick 5 returned $12,000+. The $.20 Pick 6 was a massive $65,000+. Luzzi, who is rarely given gifts these days, had a layup earlier on the card with his only other mount at 3-to-5 but placed (slow break and it was a muddy track, however). He was 2-for-131 in 2020 but is 3-for-7 in 2021 and sports a record of 7 3-1-1 (43%/71%). I love horse racing.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Sheldon Russell had a breakout day with three stakes winners. He was 5 3-1-0 and should be considered as a possible Jockey of the Week. He is 11 4-5-0 the past two days.
• Race 6: Hello Beautiful (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell) is a stunning 7 7-0-0 on the dirt track at Laurel (0-for-6 elsewhere including the track's turf). The Maryland bred loves home town cookin' after winning the $100,000 What A Summer Stakes. The husband-wife team broke out of their winless funk for 2021 and returned to their winning ways of 2020.

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• Race 8: Kenny Had a Notion (Jorge Ruiz/Dale Capuano) won the $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes.
• Handle: Over $2 million.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Handle: $6 million roughly.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $12.5 million.
• Rainbow Six: The jackpot for Sunday is guaranteed to reach $700,000.
• Race 12: The $.50 Pick 5 paid an enormous $44,000+.
• Race 7: Annex (Junior Alvarado/Bill Mott) was a sensation in winning his debut race. This horse wants to run. Keep an eye on this puppy. Alvarado finished second in the prior three races and twice was caught steps before the wire; however, this horse may want longer distances and could be something special. He cost just $65,000.
• Race 5: Heart of God (Jose Ortiz/Enrique Torres) was bet down from a 20-to-1 m/l to 7-to-1 and nipped a game Nicole Princess (Junior Alvarado/Antonio Sano) who was bet down to 3-to-1 from a 15-to-1 m/l. Bad morning lines perhaps or handicappers saw something in each but it was one of the most entertaining finishes of the day. Torres has just three lifetime wins in the U.S. and was once an assistant to Sano in Venezuela and formerly at Gulfstream.
• Replay show:

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, January 16, 2021, part 2:

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Brian Hernandez. Jr. scored two winners among the blacktype races held today. That will put him in serious contention for Jockey of the Week honors.
• Florent Geroux cooled off after a sizzling start to 2021. He was 11 1-3-4 today.
• Race 13: Midnight Bourbon (Joe Talamo/Steve Asmussen) won the $200,000 Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes. The race offered a 10-4-3-1 point distribution towards the top four finishers for entry into the Kentucky Derby. The winner cost $525,000 and is owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds whose best known horse is possibly Tapit and much of his offspring such as Untapable.

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• Race 12: Charlie's Penny (Brian Hernandez. Jr./Chris Block), a Minnesota-bred, repeat -- a Minnesota-bred -- won the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes and with it 10 points towards entry into the Kentucky Oaks. The rest of the field was foaled in Kentucky. Her mother is 9-year-old Sweet Lorraine who has two foals that have run, Mom's Red Lipstick and Charlie's Penny and both are now stakes winners.

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• Race 10: Title Ready (Brian Hernandez. Jr./Dallas Stewart) won the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes at odds of 5-to-1. It was his fifth win in 25 lifetime starts but his first stakes win. He was coming out of a 10th place finish in the Clark at Churchill Downs.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: Over $11,000,000.
• Card: Five races with purses $150,000 or more.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, January 17, 2021

• Todd Pletcher's updated earnings total is $398,884,475. He is roughly $1.11 million away from $400,000,000. He is the all-time earner among trainers in North America history.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Todd Pletcher was a perfect 3 3-0-0 with Kendrick Carmouche riding each winner. Pletcher's 10 wins at the meet is second highest to Rudy Rodriguez's 12 victories.
• Kendrick Carmouche was rock solid today with four victories and his 34 wins at the meet is 12 better than his closest challenger. He is attempting to win his second straight NYRA title.
  
• Race 7: Thankful (Kendrick Carmouche/Todd Pletcher) won the $100,000 Ladies' Handicap. The 4-year-old daughter to American Pharoah is 6 3-1-1 lifetime and won a blacktype race for the first time. She was purchased for $625,000 in 2018.
• Handle: $6.4 million.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Charlie Marquez, who maintains a 5-pound bug status and is just 17 years of age, won three times on four mounts. He has returned to Maryland after a short stay in New York in which his agent Angel Cordero (Hall of Fame ex-jockey) picked up his book and added exposure to the rider's early career.
• Race 7: Vibrancy (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell) gave the husband-wife team their second consecutive win in two days. The jockey has nine wins at the meet, second best. The trainer is now 2-for-12 after a 0-for-9 start. The married couple were 39% in 2020 when teaming.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Antonio Gallardo rode three straight mounts to victories and is now five away from 2.000 in his career. He leads the meet with 40 victories two more than his closest challenger Samy Camacho.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won five times and is now in that upper echelon of riders the past few years. His success rate is striking. He should win the Jockey of the Year for 2020 and is having a splendid start to 2021 as North America's leading rider with 25 wins (six more than his closest challenger).
• Leading jockeys: Irad Ortiz, Jr. (50 wins), Luis Saez (48 wins) and Paco Lopez (44 wins).
• Leading trainer: Todd Pletcher (27 wins).
• Handle: $11.3 million
• Replay show:

​

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Adam Beschizza won three times. He is in an epic battle for meet supremacy with three other riders. Beschizza, James Graham and Mitchell Murrill all have 36 wins while Florent Geroux has 35 victories. Three of the jockeys were born in Europe; Murrill is from Alabama. Th meet concludes March 28.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: $8 million+
• Race 7: Quick (Umberto Rispoli/John Sadler) won the $100,000 Grade 3 Astra Stakes, a rare 1 1/2 miles turf race, by a nose. Runner up Hermaphrodite (Joel Rosario/John Sadler) has the same trainer and owner -- Hronis Racing -- as the winner.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Free live streams:

Laurel Park (MD): Streaming Video | Laurel Park
Gulfstream Park (FL): Live Stream | World-Class Thoroughbred Horse Racing | Gulfstream Park
Golden Gate Fields (CA): Live Racing 01/16/2021 – Golden Gate Fields
Santa Anita (CA): Santa Anita Live Stream - Santa Anita Park
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Schedules for holiday Monday on TVG and TVG2. Most major tracks are in operation with the exceptions of Tampa Bay and Gulfstream which return on Wednesday.

Broadcast schedule for Monday, January 18, 2021. All posted time is subject to change.

TVG
TRACKS	RACES	1ST POST IN EST
GB - Wolverhampton	3	12:10 PM
Laurel Park	1-7	12:25 PM
Parx Racing	1-7	12:25 PM
Aqueduct	1-8	12:50 PM
Fair Grounds	1-9	2:00 PM
Santa Anita	1-9	3:30 PM
Golden Gate Fields	1-9	3:45 PM
Pompano Park	3-13	8:00 PM
Yonkers Raceway	4-10	8:15 PM
AUA - Wagga	1-8	9:15 PM
AUB - Cairns	1-7	10:10 PM
AU2 - Albion Park	7	1:45 AM
JP - Tokyo City Keiba	7-10	3:00 AM
TVG2
TRACKS	RACES	1ST POST IN EST
Mahoning Valley	3	1:40 PM
Laurel Park	4-9	1:53 PM
Delta Downs	1-4,7-9	1:55 PM
Fair Grounds	1-4,7-9	2:00 PM
Parx Racing	8-10	3:34 PM
Golden Gate Fields	1-2	3:45 PM
Turf Paradise	5-7	4:42 PM

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[CHRDANHUTCH]

Suffolk Downs tried simulcasting on the Holiday; BUT found it difficult and will be shut down through the 23rd due to HSP

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Monday, January 18, 2021

• And they're off: Holiday Monday and most major tracks operated with the exceptions of Tampa Bay and Gulfstream. Both open Wednesday.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $5 million.
• Race 7: Bella Aurora (Jorge Vargas, Jr./Michael Trombetta) was the longest shot on the board and won the $100,000 Interborough Stakes. With the entire inside left open, the winner had easy pickings and paid $76.50. The top two finishers in the field of six were coming out of Laurel.

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• Race 1: Barista Vixen (Jose Lezcano/Bill Mott) gave the Hall of Famer trainer his first win at the meet after 23 straight losses.

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Handle: $1.9 million.
• Edwin Rivera won three times including one via DQ and another for trainer Ron Dandy who has been conditioning since the 1970s and got his first win at now defunct Narragansett Park in Rhode Island in 1977. Dandy sent out horses at many New England tracks that no longer exist including Marshfield Fair, Great Barrington Fair, Northampton and Suffolk Downs (Massachusetts), Rockingham Park (New Hampshire) and Narranganset (Rhode Island).

Laurel (Maryland):

• Handle: $1,7 million.
• Race 9: Rag Top (Horacio Karamanos/Lawrence King) was the longest shot on the board at 9-to-1 but won and gave the trainer his 62nd lifetime win. King first entered horses in 1978, He has sent out just 20 horses since the start of 2018. The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $12,000 which is excessive by normal payouts.

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Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Mitchell Murrill has three wins. He leads the meet with 39 victories. Close by are James Graham and Adam Beschizza with 37 wins.
• Race 9: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $28,000.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: Over $7 million.
• Race 7: Mucho Unusual (Joel Rosario/Tim Yakteen) won the $100,000 Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

From my review on Friday...

• Race 7: Annex (Junior Alvarado/Bill Mott) was a sensation in winning his debut race. This horse wants to run. Keep an eye on this puppy. Alvarado finished second in the prior three races and twice was caught steps before the wire; however, this horse may want longer distances and could be something special. He cost just $65,000.

Others saw the same thing as Annex looked the part and that is saying something for Bill Mott who doesn't usually succeed so ostentatiously in debut races. Mott second time out is where his horses generally take the big step. This horse wants to strut and that was obvious after his debut.

But more on Annex...

Horses to Watch: Annex impresses on debut for Mott (horseracingnation.com)
Source: Horseracingnation

Since 2000, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has won at only an 8 percent rate with first-time starters. So when one of his runners strikes on debut, it’s wise to sit up and take notice.

That’s why I’m excited to see what the future holds for Annex, a son of Constitution out of the Unbridled’s Song mare You Make Me Sing. Annex wasn’t particularly popular when offered for sale as a yearling, failing to meet his reserve with a final bid of $65,000. But the LNJ Foxwoods colorbearer is bound to be popular at the betting windows because his debut on Saturday at Gulfstream Park was impressive.

With Junior Alvarado in the saddle, Annex was content to settle back in eighth place early in the one-mile turf test, trailing the leaders by half a dozen lengths. He was still nearly five lengths off the pace with a quarter mile remaining, but then Annex kicked into high gear. Sprinting the final two furlongs in :11.69 and :11.17, Annex dashed to the front and won by a length in 1:34.93.

Annex did race a bit greenly, carrying his head to one side down the stretch. But he also was full of run and tons the best, so with experience, I think he’ll turn out to be a very nice colt.​

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

MSHRC Meeting to discuss the 2021 Harness Racing season in midst of the Pandemic and the fallout of the closing of Scarborough Downs after 7 decades will commence 2/8/21:

Proposal to shift Harness Racing dates in Southern Maine from Scarborough to Cumberland is part of this meeting, as that is on the table to be proposed along with the 8 State Fair tracks that will submit dates for 2021 independent of whether any state fairs from July to October will happen/occur

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

MSHRC Meeting to discuss the 2021 Harness Racing season in midst of the Pandemic and the fallout of the closing of Scarborough Downs after 7 decades will commence 2/8/21:

Proposal to shift Harness Racing dates in Southern Maine from Scarborough to Cumberland is part of this meeting, as that is on the table to be proposed along with the 8 State Fair tracks that will submit dates for 2021 independent of whether any state fairs from July to October will happen/occur

Is Maine considering sports betting?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Is Maine considering sports betting?

depends on who you ask:

Oxford Casino/Churchill Downs was roasted by Scarborough when they announced their shutdown.... now Penn National operates Bass Park aka Bangor Raceway.

there was always a point of contention as to why Oxford Casino got approved, Scarborough town leaders were never in favor of any casino proposal.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):

• Races 1 and 2: This has to be a record! Luis Rivera rode the winner in race 1 to a 24-length win. Beside that mind-boggling fact, he came back for race 2 and won by 14 lengths. Show me where a jockey won by 38 lengths total on two consecutive mounts.
• Luis Rivera had a 4-win afternoon.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

depends on who you ask:

Oxford Casino/Churchill Downs was roasted by Scarborough when they announced their shutdown.... now Penn National operates Bass Park aka Bangor Raceway.

I did a little research and vegasinsider.com has an analysis of various states and their current situations (at last update) as to sports betting. This is for Maine:
Maine Sports Betting | ME Sportsbooks Status January 2021 (vegasinsider.com)

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

SMARTY JONES STAKES

What: Kentucky Derby prep. Points awarded will be 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers, respectively. The complete list is in post #4 of this thread.
Where: Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas
When: Friday, January 22, 2021, Race 8
Time: 4:11 pm Central Time
Who: 3 year-olds
Distance: 1 mile
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $150,000
TV: TVG (all-day coverage of racing).
History: Named after Smarty Jones, the Pennsylvania bred who captivated America and nearly won the Triple Crown in 2004. He settled for a career record of 9 8-1-0 and earned $7.6 million. Smarty won the "big three" Kentucky Derby preps held at Oaklawn: the Southwest, the Rebel and the Arkansas Derby.​

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Martini Blu (KY)	Francisco Arrieta	115	McLean Robertson	6/1
2	Lawlessness (KY)	David Cohen	115	Ingrid Mason	12/1
3	Cowan (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	115	Steven M. Asmussen	9/5
4	Big Thorn (FL)	David Cabrera	117	Steven M. Asmussen	9/2
5	Hardly Swayed (KY)	Martin Garcia	115	Rey Hernandez	12/1
6	Moonlite Strike (KY)	Joseph Talamo	115	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	4/1
7	Caddo River (KY)	Florent Geroux	115	Brad H. Cox	5/2

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A look at the 2004 Kentucky Derby